![]() ![]() We wondered if the trip would ever happen. The tourism sector suffered hard and was completely paralysed. Families had to quarantine or go to the hospital. Just a few days were left before the date, and we had to make the hard decision to delay our trip to a later time, awaiting developments of the pandemic that seemed to be ravaging the country. Each family stayed quarantined at home, and our flights to Quảng Bình were cancelled. But we thought we could stick to our plan, as there would be no virus inside the cave.īut it was getting worse and more stressful closer to our departure date: new cases increased rapidly, and there was no vaccine to take. And the numbers multiplied after the May 1, Labour Day holiday. I vividly remember April 28, and the first serious positive case. Two weeks before our departure, the fourth wave of COVID hit Vietnam. It comprises a dense subterranean jungle, two gigantic cave ceiling collapses, and several underground rivers.But the pandemic tested our patience. To limit environmental impacts, provincial authorities only allow the company to operate tours to Son Doong from January to August, with the cave closed to tourists from September until the year-end to allow recovery of its ecosystem.Īll 1,000 slots for adventure tours to Son Doong in 2022 have been fully booked by domestic tourists, mainly from Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces while around 100 tourists, mostly foreigners, have already booked tours to the cave complex for 2023. In addition, many other operating and administrative costs are also included. In addition to a 10-percent value-added tax, the tour price includes a $390 entry fee, along with a $210 fee for forest environment services.įrom 2020, authorities in Quang Binh Province issued a decision to reduce the entrance fee to Son Doong by half to $195 therefore, the tour price has been reduced to $2,500 to stimulate tourism demand.Īccording to Oxalis, the tour price also includes airport pick-up, two-night hotel stay, meals before and after the tour. This fueled my admiration,” Quang recalled. “Each porter carried luggage of 30 kilos and traverses slippery and dangerous terrain with little more than normal shoes and sandals. “The journey was easier than I imagined,” Quang recalled. Vu Ngoc Quang, a Hanoi man who was born with a defect in his right hand, fulfilled his dream of conquering the world’s largest natural cave in 2020. In case of emergency, rescue helicopters would be deployed. All local porters and tour guides receive regular training in safety and rescue. ![]() They would carry 600 kilograms of equipment and supplies in and out of the cave, including waste disposed by tourists. In addition, each tour has only 10 visitors at maximum but needs up to 27 people to serve them, including 17 porters carrying luggage and food throughout the journey, five safety assistants, an international guide, a cave expert, two chefs, and a ranger. Therefore, all equipment was ordered from Europe and approved by Limbert. Howard Limbert, a British caving expert credited with initial explorations of the now famous Son Doong Cave, has worked with the company to develop a safety plan. Nguyen Chau A, CEO of Oxalis, said safety for visitors and employees is the company’s top priority in adventure tours and it is not allowed to haggle about requirements related to safety. In addition, they would be treated with three freshly cooked meals per day, plus snacks and sleep in some of the world’s greatest campsites. “The cavern is big enough to fit a Boeing 747 with room to spare,” New York Times described.Įach year the number of visitors allowed to the cave is limited to 1,000 as provincial authorities seek to protect Son Doong from overcrowding.ĭuring the expedition, tourists will have a chance to explore the world’s largest cave with a specialist, traverse unique underground rainforests, wade through rivers both above and below ground and scale the 90-meter “Great Wall of Vietnam” with ropes and ladders. Son Doong’s main passage is 3.1 miles long, 660 feet high and 490 feet wide. A four-day expedition into Son Doong, the world’s largest natural cave, is one of the top global bucket list adventures as hailed by travel magazines.īefore the Covid pandemic hit the country in early 2020, a four-day-three-night expedition to Son Doong Cave in the central province of Quang Binh cost VND69.8 million (around $3,000), with Oxalis the only company licensed to bring tourists through Son Doong. ![]()
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